Council Members

During his tenure as president of National Education Association Rhode Island, Larry Purtill has held numerous positions of leadership on statewide boards and commissions, in both the labor and education communities. He currently is secretary treasurer of the Institute for Labor Studies and Research and is on the board of directors of the Working Rhode Island coalition and the Providence Performing Arts Center.

Purtill is a member of the Executive Committee Rhode Island AFL-CIO. He taught history in Exeter-West Greenwich for twenty-two years prior to taking office in 1999.

David Kim is an artist, scientist and educator with a deep commitment to making the arts more inclusive and accessible to local communities. His creative practice centers on cultivating digital, biological and social systems for catharsis and community empowerment and has been featured in Wired, Smithsonian, The Providence Journal, The Boston Globe, The New York Times, Art in America and the 2013 Venice Biennale. Kim currently serves on the boards of Providence-based nonprofit arts organizations Queer.Archive.Work [queer.archive.work] and The Steel Yard. Formerly a cancer and genetics research biochemist, Kim returned to school for Interdisciplinary Computing in the Arts at University of California, San Diego, and the Digital+Media MFA program at the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD). In 2014, he launched RISD's Co-Works Research Lab where he continues to serve as director and supports experimentation with emerging technologies. Kim is RISD Sculpture faculty and has also taught at institutions including Brown University, Brandeis University and the School of Visual Arts NYC.

Mary K. Talbot joins the council for her second tenure as a member and secretary. She is an accomplished media and marketing professional who is experienced in community relations, marketing communications, media relations, public affairs, and crisis communications in corporate, government and nonprofit settings. Talbot has served on numerous boards and commissions, including her first board service to RISCA from 2002-2011. She has a Masters in Corporate Public Relations, Northwestern University, Medill School of Journalism, Evanston, IL, and a Bachelor of Arts in English and Studio Art from Providence College.

Maggie Anderson serves as the Director of Arts and Development at Hope High School in Providence where she manages the implementation of the school's strategic redesign plan.  She co-chairs the Arts, A/V, Communication Subcommittee to the Career and Technical Education Board of Trustees.  She spent more than five years as the Director of Arts in Education at RISCA. During her time there, she was appointed and served as Rhode Island’s first representative to the State Education Agencies Directors of Arts Education. Before joining RISCA, she held the position of Director of Education at the Newport Art Museum and had extensive experience as an educator and instructional leader in K-12 arts education. In 2022 she was named Distinguished Friend of the Rhode Island Art Education Association" and in 2024 she received a Producer's Circle Award at the R.I. International Film Festival. With a master’s degree in arts and cultural management/administration from Pratt Institute and a bachelor’s degree from Rhode Island College.


 

Steven Boudreau, Cranston, is a public health leader and arts advocate based in Rhode Island, known for his efforts to integrate the arts into health and wellness in service to the design of Arts and Health as a field of practice for Rhode Island.  At the heart of his current work is a consultancy built on experience design and creative facilitation—Boudreau, Experience Architect: Designing Moments – Inspiring Connections. This consultancy serves as the first expression of a broader vision: designing participatory experiences that spark personal, community, and organizational transformation.

Boudreau also serves as the Director of Equity and Engagement at the Rhode Island Office of Healthy Aging (OHA), where he leads initiatives to promote inclusivity and engagement for older adults. Previously, he was the Chief Administrative Officer and Director of Workforce at the Rhode Island Department of Health (RIDOH), overseeing workforce development, career advancement, and leadership programs for a staff of 650+ public health champions.  Boudreau is a current Council member for the Rhode Island State Council on the Arts and former Board member for the National Organization for Arts in Health and The Avenue Concept and a member of the 2023 Leadership Rhode Island Core Program.  In November of 2024, he earned his certification in Experience Design through Odyssey Works Foundation.

Boudreau co-founded and co-chairs the Rhode Island Arts and Health Network, a collaboration with RISCA. This network evolved from the 2016 Rhode Island State Arts and Health Advisory Group.  Their work culminated in the 2019 Rhode Island State Arts and Health Plan, a roadmap for integrating arts and creative therapies into healthcare and community settings. He has been instrumental in developing the R.I. Public Health Artist in Residence Program, embedding artists within public health agencies to address issues like behavioral health, addiction, community voice, asthma control, and refugee health through creative community engagement with artists.

André Herrera is a Rhode Island native whose career and personal mission center on uplifting and building resilient communities prepared for both current and future challenges. With a master’s degree in political science from Boston College, Herrera combines academic insight with nearly a decade of public service, shaping him into a rational, patient, and charismatic individual.

As Director of Policy and Constituent Services for Mayor Bob DaSilva of East Providence, André oversees constituent affairs and manages intergovernmental relations as the primary liaison with city council, state, local, and federal leaders. 

Herrera is passionate about restoring people's faith in their government. His intellectual curiosity spans politics, economics, technology, and academia, driving his creative problem-solving. Through his professional projects, non-profit work, and personal endeavors, André inspires hope and resilience, encouraging the next generation of Americans to pursue their dreams.

Blake Johnson, Esq., is a Rhode Island native, born and raised in Providence. She was a part of the 3+3 program at Roger Williams University with an undergraduate degree in Legal Studies and Philosophy, graduating cum laude in 2019. She then graduated from Roger Williams School of Law in 2021. While in law school, Blake focused on business and transactional classes and was a part of the Business Start-up Clinic. She was also a student ambassador and Vice President of the Alliance. She is a member of the Rhode Island Women's Bar Association, a co-founder of the Cannabis Policy Coalition and is licensed to practice in New York, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island.

Blake is also the founder and co-owner of Black Dragonfly Events LLC, a full-service event planning and design company that specializes in fundraisers and social events. She had been an event consultant since high school before she started the business. Blake has a strong passion for the arts and creativity as well as helping her community and the state she calls home. Providence is called the Creative Capital of New England and Blake wants to ensure that this little big city lives up to that name.

She enjoys reading, baking and spending time with her dog and turtle. In her spare time, she is a dog walker and an amateur photographer, model, and cosplayer.

Kara McKinley Kunst is a policy leader and fiber artist with over 15 years of experience in legislative affairs and economic development. She currently serves as the Director of Policy for the Rhode Island Executive Office of Commerce, where she oversees the policy and budget team, focusing on the state’s economic development strategy. During her tenure, she managed the implementation of the $45 million RI Rebounds program, supporting over 3,500 businesses in their post-pandemic recovery.

Before her work in Rhode Island, Kunst held senior roles within the Baltimore City Council, including Director of Legislative Affairs, where she managed landmark initiatives like the Children and Youth Fund and the city’s first comprehensive zoning code rewrite in 40 years.

In addition to her public service, Kunst is an accomplished fiber artist and the creator of The Knit McKinley, an online resource and portfolio of original knitting patterns. Her designs focus on approachable techniques and practical pieces that support community and charitable knitting projects. Kunst holds a Master of Public Administration and a Bachelor of Arts in History from the University of Baltimore.

Bethany Lardaro lives in Hopkinton and holds a bachelor’s degree in Public Relations and Communications from Rhode Island College. She has worked in banking since 2004 and started with her current employer, Washington Trust, in 2009. Participating and giving back to the community has been a lifelong value held by Lardaro. Joining Washington Trust, known for its culture of service; both to customers and to the communities it serves, is a decision that she is proud of. Lardaro started her career as a branch manager and now works as a Private Client Advisor specializing in wealth planning. Through her tenure, she has participated in programs to promote financial literacy such as understanding credit, retirement planning seminars and succession planning for business owners.  She has worked with people at all phases of their financial journey. Lardaro was drawn to the RISCA council because she has deep respect and admiration for those who create. She believes that art feeds the soul and enhances our lives in every way. Community service has been a part of her life for as long as she can remember. Lardaro earned her Gold Award through Girl Scouts, which is the equivalent to the Eagle Scout. She is a lifetime member of Girl Scouts and most recently worked on the Camp Hoffman Centennial Committee. She has served as a mentor for an elementary aged child for three years through an organization called South Kingstown CARES and served on its board. She also served on the board of directors for the Narragansett Chamber of Commerce for thirteen years. She has been the co-chair of the Rhode Island Calamari Festival since its inception in 2014. 

Amy Leidtke, principal of Leidtke Design, is an accomplished industrial designer, artist and educator with a standing record of success combining the disciplines of research, strategic and master planning, ideation and design development, participatory design workshops, in an inclusive professional design practice.

Leidtke has been directly responsible for the planning, management and coordination of projects reaching millions of people. From studio to shop, she is experienced in all facets of the design process, including brainstorming, programming, design and production.

For 20-plus years, Leidtke has worked on projects such as immersive play and learning environments, traveling exhibits and products for mass production, including children's educational kits/activities, medical equipment, retail displays and corporate identity systems. She has worked with clients such as the Children's Museum of Indianapolis, Boston Children's Museum, Henry Ford Museum/Spirit of Ford, Lincoln Children's Museum, The Building for Kids, Lincoln Parks and Recreation Department, Rhode Island School of Design (RISD), Rotobin, Simplicity and Zoom (educational public television).

She has a special interest in pediatric design (design for children) and has devoted most of her career to building an expertise in collaboratively developing and designing innovative interactive learning and play environments (museum exhibits and parks), toys, games, activity guides and curricula for children and families.

Leidtke is a master teaching artist, having served as a Designer-in-Residence with public and private schools, working with children, youth and educators to create fun, interactive products and experiences within the context of academically integrated curriculum. Programs focus on themes including but not limited to brainstorming, collaboration, empathy, communication, drawing and design thinking.

Leidtke is a faculty member of SmART Schools, which provides K-12 educators with professional development opportunities, "dedicated to creating arts-infused schools and classrooms where students of all backgrounds are inspired to meet high academic standards."

Leidtke is on the Arts in Education Roster of Rhode Island State Council on the Arts (RISCA), a program endorsed by The New England Consortium of Art-Educator Professionals (NECAP).

Leidtke is an adjunct faculty member in the Department of Industrial Design and the Department of Continuing Education at RISD, where she teaches design courses, for K-12, undergraduate and graduate levels. A sampling of past RISD college-level studio courses include: Curiosita: Practical Applications for Innovative Thinking, Introduction to Industrial Design, Sketching and Rendering for Industrial Design, Industrial Design Principles, Industrial Design Investigations, Drawing Boot Camp, and Industrial Design Graduate Studio.

Leidtke is author of RISD Design Connections: Curriculum Tools for Design Education, which includes a set of design skill-building projects for middle and high school students.

Michael Rose is an art gallerist and writer. Since 2014, Rose has served as the Gallery Manager at the historic Providence Art Club, where he oversees a complex gallery schedule spread across three unique exhibition spaces. Rose has also led the galleries to new sales records and earned coveted Best of Rhode Island Awards for Best Gallery in Providence seven years in a row (2019-2025). Rose also works as curator, juror, and judge and has helped to craft exhibitions at other venues throughout the region. In addition to his gallery work, Michael is an active art writer. From 2021–2025, he authored the Inside Art column for GoLocalProv, and he founded the New England Art News, a blog and weekly newsletter.

Rose earned his Bachelor of Arts in Art History from Providence College and a Graduate Certificate in Appraisal Studies in Fine and Decorative Arts from New York University. He completed AS220's Practice/Practice Residency for Arts Administrators and in 2025 received a Rhode Island Foundation Fellowship to complete the Institute for Non-Profit Practice Core Certificate in Non-Profit Leadership.

Elvys Ruiz is the Business and Community Engagement Administrator for the Division of Developmental Disabilities at the RI Behavioral Healthcare Developmental Disabilities and Hospitals (BHDDH). He earned his Bachelor of Science “Summa Cum Laude” with a concentration in Human Services from the Springfield College. Elvys also holds a master’s degree in leadership and organizational Management from Springfield College as well as a Specialty in Linguistic and Translation from the University Oberta de Catalunya, Spain. He is an artist, writer, cultural activist as well as a theatrical director at The Village Theatre, an L3C located at Hope Artiste Village in Pawtucket. He has written many articles and has published three books: Coffee and Dominoes, Teatro Latinoamericano de la Diaspora, and The Black Imaginary in the Dominican’s Collective Memory. He has been featured in many magazines and newspapers and received many citations and awards. He has lectured at Brown University, Providence College, Community College of R.I., Bristol Community College, R.I. College about topics related to immigration, Caribbean issues, blackness in the Dominican Republic, theatre among other topics. 

He received a fellowship from the Rhode Island Foundation to research more in-depth on the African Presence in the Dominican Republic. He has served on the boards of many community organizations such as The Center for Hispanic Policy and Advocacy, Ocean State Center for Independent Living, Quisqueya in Action, The Dominican-American National Roundtable, World Affairs Council of Rhode Island, African-Alliance of Rhode Island, The DaVinci Center, The Instituto Duartiano of Rhode Island, the RI Coalition for Immigrants and Refugees, the Providence Community Mediation Center, Chad Brown Health Center and the RI National Guard Multicultural Advisory Council. He was born and raised in the Dominican Republic and came to United States in 1991. He lives in Providence with his spouse, two young adults and their beloved family dog, Sage.

Silvermoon Mars LaRose, a member of the Narragansett Tribe, is the Assistant Director of the Tomaquag Museum. She assists the Executive Director with managing the museum’s collections and archives, cultural education and the Indigenous Empowerment projects. Silvermoon has worked in tribal communities for over twenty years, serving in the areas of health and human services and education. Throughout her career, she has had the opportunity to travel extensively, learning from Indigenous communities throughout the United States. Silvermoon is also a member of the Rhode Island Foundation’s inaugural cohort of the Equity Leadership Initiative. As a public servant, Silvermoon serves as the Secretary for the Charlestown Conservation Commission. As an artist and educator, she hopes to foster Indigenous empowerment through education, community building, and the sharing of cultural knowledge and traditional arts. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology, a minor in Justice Law and Society from the University of Rhode Island, and a partially completed Master’s in Rehabilitation Counseling from Western Washington University.